VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: Peter Macon, Chad L. Coleman & Mark Jackson On How Seth MacFarlane Works On ‘The Orville’

The Orville, a Seth MacFarlane scifi comedy that pays homage to Star Trek, has returned for Season 3.

Peter Macon, Chad. L. Coleman and Mark Jackson recently sat down with uInterview founder Erik Meers to discuss behind-the-scenes moments on set.

“Everybody is clever and witty,” Coleman said.

“The feeling on set is genuinely effected by what we’re filming at the time,” Jackson revealed. “If we’re on day three of a deep space battle and it’s been red alert on that ship and all you can see is red lights and you haven’t left the bridge for three days, it’s going to effect the cabin fever of that environment. Much later on in the season, we shoot things that feel very festive and there’s a party atmosphere going on and that’s infectious. It’s a relief to be able to have that after quite emotionaly intense and draining periods.”

“When we’re deep in those block shooting bridge battle days, it’s a fatigue because we’re 10 hours in,” Macon added. “I think when the wheels start to wobble and people start to get squirrly, it’s my favorite. I don’t think it’s a concious choice to be like, ‘Oh I’m gonna be the funny guy,’ but the crew, they’re busting their hump and everyone’s working really hard and we’re in the eleventh hours trying to get multiple takes … I feel like we innately entertain the room. Filter free. Things just start pouring out of our mouths.”

“For the most part,” Coleman cut-in jokingly.

“Yeah, is HR going to approve of what I just said?” Macon laughed. “It’s a comraderie, we’re there for each other.”

The cast also elaborated on moments where they realized how special it was to be able to work with MacFarlane.

“I come in and we’re about to do this scene and we’re in the cabin and it just hit me,” Coleman said. ‘I said, ‘Seth, man. You’re carrying all this on your shoulders. Does it ever get overwhelming for you?’ He said, ‘Nah, right now I’m just trying to figure out if you guys should have real martini glasses or should Moclans have those. That’s what I’m thinking about right now.’ He’s so specific and pretty spot-on and the wheels are always turning. You couldn’t ask for a more effusive person. It’s exciting for him and it’s been his dream for a long time.”

“He’s one of America’s great satirist, so don’t think you’re going to get away without feeling a bit of that,” Jackson said. “He likes to take the mickey out of my English accent on a daily basis. It never gets old! We all know his sense of humour, but as Chad said, he’s like a kid with wonder in his eyes when he sees everything going well. It’s a joy to give him what he’s wanted for that particular moment in a scene. He takes the art of acting very seriously. When he finds it in others, he lets them know.”

“He’s such an unassuming, regular dude,” Macon revealed. “It’s about the work. He’s a very comfortable person to be around and he really knows what he wants. What’s been great is he’s not just directing the show, but he’s number one on the call sheet. He’s in it with us, so he understands our side of the camera and all the work that has lead up to get us shooting. It’s really helpful to have such a wordsmith because the writing is written for each of our characters specifically. When they’re doing camera set-ups, you kind of just want to leave him alone because his phone’s ringing, people are asking him questions … sometime’s he’ll escape and hide with us where no one will know where to find him because he also wants to prepare and be in it, too. You have to help let him be one of us sometimes and let him just focus on the martini glasses.”

The Orville New Horizons is now streaming on Hulu.